Rail-joint fastening



No. 623,508. Patented Apr. 25 l899. M. BETKA.

RAIL JOINT FASTENING.

(Application filed Jan. 19, 1899.)

*reres TENT RAlL-JOINT FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. &323,508, dated. Aprl 25, 1899.

Application filed January 19, 1899. Serial No. 702.682. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concerns Be it known that I, MICHAEL BETKA, a subi ect of the Ozar of Russia, residin g at Dayton, in the county of Liberty and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint Fastening, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in rail-joint fastenings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the Construction of rail-joint fastenings and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device adapted to dispense with nuts and nut-locks and capable of looking an entire series of transverse fastening device's in engagement with the fish-plates and rails.

A further object of the invention is to provide a looking device of this character adapted to yield readily to the expansion and contraction of the rails and the vibration thereof without sustaining any injury or affecting the security of the fastening devices.

The invention consists in the Construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a rail-joint provided with a fastening device constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View. Fig. 4 is a'detail perspective view of one of the bolts. Fig. 5 is a detail perspcctive View of one of the sections of the locking-plate.

Like nu merals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawngs.

l 1 designate a pair of rails having their meeting ends connected by fish-plates 2 and transverse bolts 3, which passthrough the fish-plates and the Webs of the rails, and the said fish-plates are composed of angle upper portions and horizontal flanges 4, which eX- tend beneath the rails, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings. The fish-plates firmly embrace the bottom fianges of the rails, and the latter are as strong at the joints as at any other portion. In order to permit the rails to have a limited longitudinal movement, so that they may eXpand and contract under the influence of heat and cold, the bolts are provided at points between their ends with recesses 5, which reduce the diameter of the bolts at that point. The bolts are provided at one side of the rails with heads, and their other ends, which project from the opposite side of the rail-joint, are provided with upper and lower notches 6 and are engaged by sections 7 of a locking-plate which extends longitudinally of the rails and fits within the recess formed by the head of the rail and the adjacent fish-plate. Each section 7 of the locking-plate is provided With keyhole-slots 8, having their enlarged portions disposed toward the inner ends of the sections and of a size to pel-mit the passage of the ends of the bolts. The sections of the locking-plate are moved outward longitudinally to Carry the narrow portions of the keyhole-slots into engagement with the notches of the bolts, which are firmly clamp'ed by Wedge-shaped fianges or ribs 9, formed integral with the sections 7 and located at opposite sides of the keyhole-slots, as clearly illustrated in .Fig. 5 of 'the accompanying drawings.

The sections of the locking-plate are held separated and maintained in engagement with the bolts by a tension device 10, consisting-of a coiled spring ll and a pair of telescoping tubular sections 12 of a cylindrical casing, which forms a housing for the coiled spring to support the same and protect it from the weather and at the same time to prevent it from becoming clogged by sand, cinders, and other accumulation. The outer ends of the tubular sections of the casingare provided with fianges 13, having perforations which are engaged by hooks 14 of the adjacent ends of the sections 7 of the clampingplate. The hooks of the sections 7 are hooked into the perforated fianges, and the spring, which is firmly supported by the telescoping casin g, is contracted or conpressed as the sections 7 are applied to the bolts and is adaptedto expand and hold the clamping-plate securely in engagement with the bolts.

The invention has the following advantages: The fastening device for rail-joints, while being simple and comparatively inexpensive in Construction, is positive and reliable in operation and is capable of securely IOO looking an entire series of transverse bolts, and the tension device which holds the seetions of the locking-plate in engagenent with the bolts is adapted to pernit the forner to expand and contract and to yield to the vibration of the rails Without affecting the efficacy of the rail-joint and Without sustaining any injury.

Changes in the form, proportion, and niinor details of constrnction nay be resorted to Without departiug from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

\Vhat is claimed is- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair of rails, and fishplates, of bolts passing through the same, a locking-plate conposed of two sections engaging the bolts, and a tension devioe connected with the inner en ds of the sections and holding the same in their engagenent with the bolts, said tension device consisting of a coiled spring and a telescoping casing forming a housing for the spring and supporting the same, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination With a pair of rails, and fishplates, of bolts passing through the same, a locking-plate coinposed of two sections en gaging the bolts and provided at their inner ends with hooks, and a tension device interposed between the sections and consisti ng of a coiled spring, and a telescoping casing forning a housing for the spring and provided atits ends Withperfo'ated flanges linked into the hooks of the sections of the iocking-piatc, substantially as described.

In testinony that I claim the forcgoing as lny own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL BETKA.

\Vi tncsses:

W. M. BAHCOCK, ROBT. F. BAGLEY. 

